System for operating especially for remote controlling and telemonitoring, unmanned radio transmitters

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to remote controlling and telemonitoring an unmanned radio transmitter ( 1 ), which can be controlled from a center if required. The center is connected to the remote-controlled transmitters via a public or private network and the operational functions of the transmitter are, if required, remote-controlled or interrogated by the center, according to the HTTP protocol, via a connection to a server/browser network linked to the remote-control device; simultaneously, the operational functions are automatically transmitted, without a prompt, from the transmitter to the centre ( 2 ) via a checkback network connection according to the SNMP- or HTTP-principle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a system for remote controlling andtelemonitoring unmanned radio transmitters.

It is known to operate radio-transmitting stations unmanned, i.e.without operating staff at the site of the transmitter, and to provide aremote control device in the transmitter that continuously monitors theoperation of the transmitter and, if necessary, can be remote-controlledfrom the centre. A large number of radio transmitters can be operatedcentrally, remote-controlled and maintained with such a known system(according to DIN IEC 864, February 1989: “Standardization ofinterconnections between transmitters or transmitting systems andsupervisory equipment”, page 4). In that case, the individual radiotransmitters are generally connected via dedicated lines to the centre.Said known systems are relatively complicated and expensive.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide such a system foroperating unmanned radio transmitters that is substantially simpler andmakes complicated special connections between the transmitters and thecentre superfluous.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the invention provides a system for operating, inparticular for remote controlling and telemonitoring, of unmanned radiotransmitters, which each have remote-control devices via which theoperating functions of the transmitter are continuously monitored and,if necessary, can be remote-controlled from a center, characterized inthat the center is connected to the remote-controllable transmitters viaa public or private network, and the operating functions of thetransmitter can, if necessary, be interrogated and remote-controlled bythe center via a server/browser network connection according to the HTTPprotocol connected to the remote-control device, and are transmittedautomatically and without prompting by the transmitter to the center viaa checkback network connection (SNMP or HTTP).

In accordance with the invention, a public or private network, forexample a so-called local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN),such as those now available worldwide in the most varied embodiments, isused for the connection between the individual transmitters and thecentre. To interrogate the operating functions of the transmitter, onlya standard Internet browser is necessary in the centre and an associatedserver in the transmitters in order to interrogate, if necessary, thedesired operating functions of the transmitter according to the HTTPprotocol (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). Simultaneously, certainoperating functions of the transmitter are continuously transmitted tothe centre automatically and without prompting via the checkback networkconnection that is additionally also provided and that operates, forexample, according to the SNMP protocol (Simple Network ManagementProtocol) or which has for that purpose an additional client/serverreturn connection employing the HTTP protocol so that any malfunctionsin the transmitter are immediately detected and indicated in the centreand can then be eliminated immediately via the existing remote-controlconnection (browser/server of the HTTP connection or, if an SNMPconnection is used as checkback network connection immediately by thelatter). The browser can also be used in a decentralized manner forinterrogating if necessary the operating conditions by assigning it, forexample, to the maintenance staff that is underway in a mobile mannerand is appropriately informed in the event of faults via the centre.

The system according to the invention can be applied in any desiredradio transmitters, both in the case of radio transmitters and in thecase of mobile radio transmitters, it being possible not only for theoperating functions of the transmitter to be interrogated andremote-controlled, but, for example, also associated measuringinstruments that are assigned to the transmitter system and that canlikewise be interrogated and remote-controlled via the remote-controlleddevice of the transmitter. The system according to the invention canalso be applied in a similar way for other remote-controllable devicesfor which similar requirements exist as in the case of such radiotransmitters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is explained in greater detail below using diagrammaticdrawings with reference to two exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows a basic circuit diagram of a first embodiment of anoperating system of the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows a basic circuit diagram of a second embodiment of anoperating system of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows the basic circuit diagram of an operating system accordingto the invention for unmanned transmitters, of which, for the sake ofclarity, only a single transmitter 1 is shown. A multiplicity of suchtransmitters can, of course, be remote-controlled in the same way by theprinciple according to the invention from a centre 2, as is indicated bythe transmitter 1′. The transmitter 1 can be remote-controlled in amanner known per se, i.e. its operating functions and any measuringinstruments 4 assigned to it can be continuously monitored by means of aremote-control device 3 and, if necessary, remote-controlled from thecentre 2, by means of said remote-control device 3, as is described ingreater detail, for example, in the reference DIN IEC 864 mentioned atthe outset. The remote-control device 3 is connected via a publicnetwork LAN/WAN to the centre 2 and, specifically, via a networkemploying the HTTP protocol having a server 5 that is connected to theremote-control device 3 and a browser 6 that is disposed in the centre 2or is optionally also sited in a decentralized manner. The server 5 ispreferably integrated (embedded) with the remote-control device 3 toform a unit. The operating conditions of the transmitter 1 are stored ina memory, not shown in greater detail, as web pages according to the XMLstandard and can accordingly be read out via the server 5 and fed intothe public network LAN/WAN via a suitable network interface andtransmitted to the browser 6 according to the HTTP protocol anddisplayed there, for example, on a viewing screen as soon as the browsertransmits an appropriate HTTP interrogation command via the network tothe server 5. This interrogation and control system employing the HTTPsystem is described in greater detail, for example, in the “Request forComments” RFC 2026, RFC 2616. Simultaneously, the remote control 3 isalso connected according to the SNMP protocol via the public networkLAN/WAN to the centre 2, as is described in greater detail, for example,in RFC 1089 and RFC 1067. For this purpose, the remote control 3 isassigned an SNMP agent 7 that is preferably again integrated directlywith the remote control 3 like the server 5. Said SNMP agent 7 is incommunication with an SNMP manager 8 disposed in the centre 2 via thepublic network. The operating functions of the transmitter 1 whoseinstruction repertoire is defined in the “management information base”can be continuously transmitted to the centre via this secondcontinuously operating SNMP connection and the function of thetransmitter can therefore be continuously monitored in the centre. Insome cases it is often sufficient not to provide any continuoustransmission of operating functions to the centre, but only iftroublesome deviations in said operating functions occur in thetransmitter. The latter are then signalled without prompting to thecentre by the so-called SNMP traps. The remote-control device 3 can alsobe acted on directly by the SNMP manager from the centre via said SNMPprotocol and the operating function of the transmitter can consequentlybe remote-controlled.

FIG. 2 shows a further possibility for the construction of the checkbacknetwork connection. The system for interrogating the operatingconditions if necessary is via HTTP with server 5 and browser 6, as inaccordance with FIG. 1. Instead of the SNMP system for the continuouscheckback, the HTTP protocol is likewise used in accordance with FIG. 2.For this purpose, the remote-control device 3 is assigned a checkbackclient 10, preferably again integrated with the remote-control deviceand the server 5, which is connected to a checkback server 11 in thecentre via the LAN/WAN network. If, for example, a fault occurs in anoperating function in the transmitter or, possibly, it also occursperiodically with time at certain intervals, the checkback client 10dials, in accordance with the HTTP protocol, the IP address(identification number) associated with the checkback server 11 and thentransmits automatically and independently without prompting therespective operating functions of the transmitter 1, which are fed tothe checkback client 10 via the remote-control device 3, to thecheckback server 11 and are evaluated there and initiate, for example, avisual or audible alarm so that the centre can then request via thebrowser/server connection 6, 5, either more detailed information itemsabout the operating fault and can then act directly on the operatingfunctions by remote control in order to eliminate any irregularities orfaults in the operating functions.

The protocols to be transmitted via the public network can be encoded ina known manner in order to prevent external interference.

The server/browser connection employing the HTTP protocol is of a knowntype. Suitable for this purpose, for example, is the Internet exploreroffered by MICROSOFT or the navigator offered by NETSCAPE. Suitable asSNMP system is, for example, the system HP Open View offered by HEWLETTPACKARD, the Spectrum system or the MG Soft system.

1. A system for remotely controlling and monitoring a radio broadcasttransmitter of a radio-transmitting station according to the DIN IEC 864standard, said system comprising a remote-control device through whichoperating functions of the broadcast transmitter of theradio-transmitting station according to the DIN IEC 864 standard arecontinuously monitored and remote-controlled from a center locatedremote from the broadcast transmitter, the radio broadcast transmitterof the radio-transmitting station according to the DIN IEC 864 standardbroadcasts a radio signal as a primary mode of communication, the centerincluding an Internet browser and being connected to the broadcasttransmitter through a public or private network different than theprimary mode of communication by: (a) a first connection comprising theInternet browser of the center communicating through the network to anInternet server connected to the remote control device of the broadcasttransmitter, such that the operating functions of the broadcasttransmitter are interrogated and remote controlled according to HTTPprotocol; and (b) a second checkback connection comprising: one of (i)an SNMP manager in the center communicating through the network to anSNMP agent connected to the remote-control device of the broadcasttransmitter, and (ii) an Internet server in the center communicatingthrough the network by HTTP to an Internet client assigned to theremote-control device of the broadcast transmitter, wherein theoperating functions of the broadcast transmitter are transmittedautomatically from the broadcast transmitter to the center via thesecond checkback connection without prompting from the center, theoperating functions of the broadcast transmitter are transmitted via thesecond checkback connection to the center only in the event ofinterfering deviations in the operating functions, and the Internetserver is embedded with the remote-control device of the broadcasttransmitter to form a unit.
 2. The system according to claim 1, whereinthe operating functions of the broadcast transmitter are storedaccording to XML standard on a web page in the Internet server of thefirst connection and can be interrogated and displayed according to theHTTP protocol by the Internet browser.
 3. The system according to claim1, wherein the operating functions of the broadcast transmitter are alsoremote-controlled via the second checkback connection employing the SNMPprotocol.
 4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the SNMP agent ofthe second checkback connection and/or the Internet client of the secondconnection are integrated with the remote-control device of thebroadcast transmitter to form a unit.
 5. The system according to claim1, wherein the network is public and transmissions through the networkare encoded.
 6. The system according to claim 1, wherein data istransmitted wirelessly by means of WAP protocol from the Internet serverto a user Internet client.
 7. The system according to claim 1, whereinthe Internet browser of the first connection is used in a decentralizedmanner.
 8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the broadcasttransmitter is configured for broadcasting over a wide area as a primarymethod of communication, and transmits its operating functions to thecenter via the second checkback connection separate from and independentof the primary method of communication.
 9. The system according to claim1, wherein the second checkback connection includes the SNMP manager inthe center communicating through the network to the SNMP agent connectedto the remote-control device of the broadcast transmitter.
 10. Thesystem according to claim 1, wherein the second checkback connectionincludes the Internet server in the center communicating through thenetwork by HTTP to the Internet client assigned to the remote-controldevice of the broadcast transmitter.